Since 1928, the Halabi family has practiced the craft of Damascene oud making across three generations.
Tarablic is a Canadian oud house shaped by Syrian heritage, dedicated to presenting the oud with the clarity, confidence, and stature it deserves. It carries forward a family craft that began in Damascus in 1928 and now continues from Canada, where heritage, refinement, and a modern vision come together to shape the future of the oud.
The roots of the family’s craft go back even further, to the early twentieth century, when woodworking first became part of the Halabi family’s identity in Damascus. But in 1928, that relationship with wood took on a new meaning. That was the year Joudat Halabi opened his workshop to build musical instruments, especially the oud, and began what would become a lasting family tradition in oud making.
Joudat brought together two rare qualities: the discipline of a master craftsman and the sensitivity of a musician. The ouds he built became known for their beauty, precision, and their natural connection to the player’s voice, touch, and musical character. Over time, his work earned recognition among oud players and enthusiasts across the Middle East, and his name became closely associated with the Damascene oud tradition.
One moment, in particular, came to represent the stature of that legacy. In 1955, Joudat Halabi crafted a distinctive oud and presented it to Umm Kulthum, one of the most celebrated singers in the Arab world, reflecting the artistic and cultural standing this craft had already achieved. Today, that oud is preserved at the Umm Kulthum Museum in Cairo, where it remains a tangible symbol of that legacy.
A handwritten note from Umm Kulthum that translates to: “We thank Mr. Joudat Al-Halabi, the creative artist, for his exquisite gift.”
A 1961 luthier label from Jawdat Alhabi.
The second generation carried that tradition forward with equal seriousness. Bashar Halabi not only preserved the values of Damascene oud making but also deepened and refined them. Alongside building new instruments, he devoted himself to the restoration of antique ouds, helping preserve not only their structure, but the artistic spirit they carried. Under his care, the craft became more than a profession passed from father to son. It became a deeply rooted family discipline shaped by patience, knowledge, and respect for the oud as an instrument of sound, history, and culture. In 2005, Bashar Halabi was awarded the title Master of Oud Makers in Damascus.
That same inheritance continued with Khaled Halabi, the third generation of oud makers in the family. Raised in the workshop, he learned the craft from within - not only its methods, but its standards, its subtlety, and its sense of responsibility. In time, he carried that legacy through a difficult journey from Damascus to Beirut, and eventually to Canada. But the goal was never simply to continue making ouds elsewhere. It was to carry the Damascene oud forward in a way that could speak clearly to the present.
That vision became Tarablic.
Tarablic is not a revival of the past for its own sake. It is the continuation of a real oud-making heritage, reintroduced with a modern standard of clarity, presentation, and trust. Rooted in Syrian craftsmanship since 1928 and handcrafted in Canada, Tarablic was built to serve the professional player, the collector, and the modern musician discovering the oud for the first time.
We believe the oud is one of the world’s great instruments. It should not be treated as a curiosity or confined to the margins of global music. It deserves to be presented with the same seriousness, beauty, and confidence given to any great instrument tradition. That belief is at the heart of everything we do.
For that reason, every Tarablic oud brings together the depth of Damascene craftsmanship and the precision of modern making in Canada. Each instrument carries not only technique, but lineage. Not only beauty, but intention. Not only tradition, but a clear sense of where the oud belongs today.
